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As your constituent and a supporter of equine welfare, I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1661/S. 775) and support its inclusion in the Farm Bill.   This legislation would simply add equines to an existing, uncontroversial law banning the slaughter of dogs and cats for meat, ending the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. Horse slaughter is an inherently cruel and unnecessary practice that 83% of Americans oppose. Not only does the slaughter of American horses produce tainted meat that is unsafe for human consumption, but it also promotes a predatory industry that makes rescuing horses more difficult. At auctions, kill buyers acquire horses that may otherwise have had a safe place to land by actively outbidding people and adoption organizations who would offer the horses good homes. The continuation of this underground industry strikes constant fear in the hearts of horse owners, who worry that their equine work partner, athlete, or trusted friend might be stolen or fall into the wrong hands and meet such a fate.   Horses have not been slaughtered legally in the U.S. for human consumption since 2007 thanks to Congressional action to prohibit taxpayer dollars from propping up this industry. Yet tens of thousands of horses continue to be exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter each year when we can either find new homes for them in the U.S. or provide them with compassionate euthanasia if that is what is necessary. We need the SAFE Act to put an end to this shameful chapter of American history.   Animal protection is a priority for me, and I would appreciate you taking a stand on such an important issue. Please co-sponsor the SAFE Act and include it in the Farm Bill.